Sign structure



Sept. 3, 1963 L. L. WHITE SIGN STRUCTURE Filed April 3, 1961 INVENTOR Leonard L. White ATTORNEY United States Patent invention relates to advertising signs, and it has particular reference to changeable panels bearing advertising indicia adapted to be detachably applied to the reverse side'of a traffic sign, especially the type conventionally known as stop signs displayed at street and highway intersections to warn motorists, and the principal object of the-invention resides in the provision of a panel which is capable of attachment to la standard traific sign without altering or modifying the latter, and without detracting from its usefulness or appearance. A primeobjectof the invention is that of providing a simple inexpensive bracketito which an advertising panel can be secured'and' by-which thepanel can be supported onthe back ofthe traffic sign and afford a device by'which the panel-may be removed or replaced'at intervals by persons of ordinary-skill without defiacing or otherwiseaffecting'the trafiic sign or its supporting media. The conventional stop-sign,- aswell as other traffic warning and information "signals installed "along streets and throughout the country, and the reverse sides thereof present ideal possibilities for advertising signs when such devices do not hinder the usefulness of the tr-aflic signals, or detract therefrom. The standard stop sign is octagonal in outline and is probably more prevalent on streets and thoroughfares than any of the other types of tralfic signals.

The stop sign appears in greater numbers in urban areas, and at least two of the corners of an intersection, and such signs are generally financed through municipal taxation which can be substantially reduced by franchise grants to private firms for the purpose of installing advertising panels on the existing stop signs whereby the expense of installation and maintenance of the public signs can be subsidized, resulting in substantial savings to the taxpayer. Such arrangement is not only possible under existing municipal corporate codes but, in some instances, is desirable where advertising can be attractively displayed on existing trafiic signs without detracting therefrom or modifying their construction and appearance.

Broadly, therefore, the invention contemplates the provision of an advertising panel, and mounting means therefor, which is adapted to be removably and interchangeably installed on the reverse side of existing traffic warning and information signs, by which such signs may be provided and maintained by private industry, or by which the public may be provided with various types of information as may be determined by the public agency responsible for such signs.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become manifest :as the description proceeds, taken in connection wtilh the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective illustration of a typical stop sign showing the invention attached.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective exploded illustration of the reverse side of a stop sign, showing the panel mounting bracket detachably secured thereto, and showing the advertising panel in position to be applied.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary front view of a typical highways'ia'nd generally standardized in shape and color stop sign illustrating the mounting bracket and an advertising panel attached to the rear race thereof.

, FIGURE 4 is a side elev-ational view of a typical installation of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is perspective exploded View of the clamp assembly for the panel bracket.

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view, on line 6-6 3,102,352 Passe? .9.

of FIGURE 3, showing the clamp assembly attached to the signstandard. r :"1,

FIGURE' Tis 'a front perspective view of a modified form of clamp for the mounting bracket. r

- FIGURE 8 isflafragmen-tary sectional view of a. modified arrangementror supportingwthe advertising panel on the sign'standardpnd 1 r FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of the adverti'singpanel supported by the modifiedarrangement The preferred form of the invention is best illustrated -in*FIG URES-l, land 4 and comprise's a mounting bracket 10 which is illustrated as Y-shaped; having-a body member 11, adapted to be supported? in vertical-.alignmentwith the standard 12- of the conventional sign 13,-and having a'pair of diverging'angular arms 14 formedwith the upper end of the body memberI-l;

. The conventional trafrlcsign 13, regardless of its particular purpose, is usually secured by: bolts 15, or other suitable-device, to the upper'end of a standard '12 generally formed of pipe or tubing approximately two to three inches indiameter, such as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 =and4. Thelheight of the signs may vary according to their specific purpose or to'local custom, and the standard 12 is usually solidly embedded in :a concrete base for permanence. Defiacing, mutilating or modifying such signs is and should be prohibited by law and for this reason attachment thereto of advertising indicia must be done in such manner as to avoid any change in the appearance or use of the sign, as by drilling holes in its face or utilizing any means of attaching another sign thereto which would efi'ace the information displayed thereon.

The bracket 10 is designed to be suspended to the back or reverse side of the sign 13 by the arms 14 whose outer ends 16 are bent at obtuse angles, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, and then turned outwardly in planes parallel to that of the body member 11, and turned at right angles to form books 17 which overreach the inclined upper edges 18 of the sign 13.

Secured to the lowermost end 19' of the body member 11 of the bracket 10, as by rivets 20, or the like,.is a sleeve 21 which is adapted to embrace the standard 12 immediately beneath the sign 13 thus securing the bracket 10 against unauthorized removal or displacement. The sleeve 21 may be formed in one piece of yieldable thin gauge metal, as shown in FIGURE 7, or with hinged sections, as illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The open side of the sleeve 21 is formed with right angular portions 22 having oppositely turned flanges 23 defining a pair of channels 24 adapted to receive the legs 25 of a clevis 26 which when applied, will retain the sleeve 21 on the standard 13, as shown in FIGURES l, 3 and 4. An aperture 27 is formed in the lower ends of the legs 25 of the clevis 26 through which the hasp of a padlock 28 is passed to prevent unauthorized tampering with the bracket 10. This arrangement is shown in FIGURE 4.

The advertising panel 29 is attached to the bracket 10 by screws or bolts 30, or other suitable device, so that the bracket 10, with the panel 20 attached thereto, can be applied to or removed from the standard .12. and the sign 13 with a minimum of effort and; time, and without in any manner affecting the structure or appearance of the sign 13 or its standardlZ. Whenthe hooks 17 are arranged over the upper edge of the sign 13, as illustrated in FIGURES 'l, 2, 3 and 4, and the sleeve 21 is arranged upon the standard 12 immediately beneath the sign 13, the bracket 10 cannot be raised sufficiently to detach the books 17 therefrom.

In the modified structure shown in FIGURES *8 and 9, a strap 31 is'employed in lieu of the bracket 10 and the panel 29 is secured thereto by bolts or screws 32. The

sleeve 21 is attached by rivets 33 to the lowermost end of the strap 31 and an inverted cup 34 is secured, as by rivets 35, to its uppermost end to be fitted over the upper end of the standard 12, as shown in detail in FIGURE 8. A slot 36 is formed in the front side of the cup 34 which is adapted to receive the upper bolt 15 which secures the sign 13 to the standard 12.

The invention is capable of certain changes in structure and design without departing from the spirit and intent thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an advertising panel and mounting means therefor adapted for attachment to a traflic sign having a standard, a Y-shaped bracket having a vertical body portion and a pair of upwardly diverging arms, a hook formed on the outer end of each of said arms for engaging the upper edge of said tnatfic sign, a sleeve attached to the lowermost end of said body portion of said bnacket for embracing the said standandbelow said traflic sign,

means for detachably securing said sleeve on said standard, and an advertising panel secured to said bracket having a conformation similar to said traflic sign.

2. In an advertising panel adapted for attachment to a traflic sign having a supporting standard, a mounting bracket forsaid advertising panel comprising a normally vertical body member having a pair of upwardly diverging arms, each of said arms having means formed on its outer end for detachably engaging the top edge of said 'traflic sign to suspend said panel rearwardly thereof, and

. a sleeve on the lower end of said body member for em- "bracing said standard below said trafiic sign and detachably securing said bracket against displacement therefrom.

3. In a detachable advertising panel, and mounting bracket therefor, adapted'for installation on a traflic sign having a standard, the said bracket comprising a vertically disposed body member having a pair of upward-1y diverging arms, a hook formed on the upper end of each of said arms adapted to engage the top of said traffic sign and suspend therefrom an advertising panel attached to said bracket, and a sleeve secured to the lowermost end of said body member adapted to embrace said standard and secure said bracket and said advertising panel thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 432,305 Foley July 15, 1890 1,716,530 Oliver June 11, 1929 2,331,390 Gustafson Oct. 12, 1943 2,367,256 Atkins Jan. 16, 1945 2,530,478 Parent Nov. 21, 1950 2,616,196 S-andahd et al. Nov. 4, 1952 2,621,431 Rericker Dec. 16, 1952 2,801,105 Acton July 30, 1957 2,809,453 Pawelka Oct. '15, 1957 2,882,629 Moeb-ius Apr. 21, 1959 2,932,514 Bergmark Apr. 12, 1960 

1. IN AN ADVERTISING PANEL AND MOUNTING MEANS THEREFOR ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO A TRAFFIC SIGN HAVING A STANDARD, A Y-SHAPED BRACKET HAVING A VERTICAL BODY PORTION AND A PAIR OF UPWARDLY DIVERGING ARMS, A HOOK FORMED ON THE OUTER END OF EACH OF SAID ARMS FOR ENGAGING THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID TRAFFIC SIGN, A SLEEVE ATTACHED TO THE LOWERMOST END OF SAID BODY PORTION OF SAID BRACKET 